UNCLAS VILNIUS 000536
SIPDIS
JUSTICE FOR OSI
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUMPRELKAWCLH
SUBJECT: CONVICTED NAZI COLLABORATOR DAILIDE ESCAPES PRISON
TIME AGAIN
Â¶1. On July 4, the Lithuanian Court of Appeals upheld the
Vilnius District Court ruling of March 2006 that convicted
but did not punish Algimantas Mykolas Dailide. Dailide had
been found guilty of unlawful treatment of civilians during
wartime but the judge ruled that he did not have to serve
time in prison, based on his poor health and the fact that he
no longer posed a threat to society. The decision was
appealed by both sides -- the Prosecutor wanted enforcement
of a prison sentence, the defendant wanted an outright
acquittal. Each side suggested to the media on July 4 that
it was contemplating further appeal to the Supreme Court, but
neither side announced if it would pursue one.
Â¶2. Dailide worked for the Nazi-controlled Lithuanian
Security Police (Saugumas) from 1941-44. He moved to the
United States in 1950, claiming on immigration documents that
he had been a forester during the war years. A U.S. court
revoked his citizenship in 1997. He left the United States
in January 2004 for his wife's native Germany, where he still
lives, while his appeals against deportation were pending.
DOJ's Office of Special Investigations (OSI) shared detailed
evidence with the GOL and had extensive communications about
the case with Lithuanian prosecutors, including a week long
training session on war crime investigations in January 2000
that used the Dailide case as a model.
CLOUD